Building block



Feb 15, 1944- E. R. BRENNEMAN ET AL 2,341,757

BUILDING BLOCK Filed Aug. 3, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 15; 1944. E; RBRENNEMAN ETAL 2,341,757

BUILDING BLOCK NIJ @y f' w Patented Feb. 15, 1944 UNITED STATES. PATENTori-"ICE 11m-1 n. mennmn anawnri swett. Alm, mea.

Application August 3, (CL ne-43) o.

Claims.

This invention relates to cementitious blocks, particularly useful inhouse or other building. It is a primary object and purpose of thepresent invention to provide a building block having an outside strongand weather resisting composition and an inner side of gypsum materialof softer composition and one which is capable of being worked, havenails or the like driven thereinto, which can be sawed across to removeparts thereof when necessary and against the inside surface of which aninside finish may be applied which will firmly adhere. The two membersof the block of separate and distinct materials are spaced from eachother and tied together by separable connecting ties, which ties may beassembled with the block parts on the job, the blocks not requiringcomplete building up and assembly thereof until they are to be used.This enhances ease and reduces cost of transportation as thedisassembled block members occupy less space than the assembled block.

With said blocks having the inner and outer members thereof connectedtogether and held by a plurality of cross ties a wall laid using theblocks is provided with an interior dead air space of value in heatinsulation. Moreover, the ties can be sawed away in part when necessaryafter the wall is laid for the passage of wiring, pipes, or conduitsshould the ties be in the way; and if prior to laying the wall it isknown where said pipes, conduits and the like are to pass certain of theties in a block may be omitted, there being in a complete block aplurality of said cross tie members in excess of those required for allblocks in a wall so that the removal or omission of a part of them doesnot endanger or depreciate the strength of the wall.

A further feature of the invention is the positioning of the cross tiesinwardly from the upper and lower sides and from each end of the block apredetermined distance such that when a wall is laid the upper row ortier of blocks may have applied thereto a plate which will t in betweenthe upper edge portions of the inner and outer members of the blocks andwill rest upon the uppermost cross ties thereof having its upper surfacesubstantially flush with the upper edges of the upper row of blocks.Also for window and door openings there will be provided the properlydimensioned spaces to receive vertical side members and upper and lowermembers, the inner faces of which will be substantially fiush with theedges of the blocks at said openings and with which a window and doorframe may be suitably connected. The blocks also are readily fashionedfor turning corners by merely cutting away a part of the inner blockmembers at the corners which can be readily done on the job, requiringno special corner block constructions.

To these ends and others which will appear, we have produced the novelbuilding block, an understanding oi the construction and use of whichmay be had from the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a buildingv block made in accordancewith our invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section therethrough.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section between the inner and outermembers of the block.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal horizontal section substantially in the planeof one of the series of cross tie members.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary illustration of a wall laid using said blocksand illustrating the top plate at the upper edge of the wall and awindow or door opening therein lined with frame members inset in theblocks around said opening.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section and end elevation at the upper part ofthe wall.

v Fig. 'I is a fragmentary plan view illustrating one form of corner,and

Fig. 8 is a similar view illustrative of a modied form of corner whichmay be used.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figuresof the drawings.

In the construction of the block an outer member l of rectangularparallelepiped form is made from a hard weather resisting cementitiousmaterial. In practice we have used cindercrete, that is, a cementitiouscomposition in which the aggregate ls principally of cinders, but it isto be understood that other aggregates may be used such as sand, graveland the like as in ordinary concrete. 'Ihe binder used will bepreferably Portland cement.

The inner block member 2 is also of rectangular parallelepiped form butof a narrower thickness. Itwill be of a gypsum composition and at itsinner side may be provided with the usual fluted or roughened surfacefor the application of plaster or other nishing at the inside when theblocks have been assembled.

The inner and outer block members I and 2 are formed with a plurality ofelongated openings 3, circular in cross section, reaching entirelythrough the block members from their upper to their lower sides. `Saidblock members I and 2 are also provided with a plurality of series oftransverse openings (not numbered) which extend partly through theblocks and which connect with the vertical openings 3 at a side thereofas shown. When the two block'members I and 2 are assembled thesehorizontal openings are in horizontal alinement in the two block membersand will have open ends 'at the sides of the block members adjacent eachother, the other sides of said block members being smooth and un-`broken as said horizontal openings do not pass tious block members,which of course may be varied without departing from the invention.

The cross tie members, preferably of wood, though other materials of anequivalent nature may be used, include an intermediate section 4 whichas shown is square in cross section, the length of which governs thespacing of the block members. From each end of the intermediate section4 a spindle 5 of cylindrical form and of a reduced diameter is providedintegral with the central section. Each of the spindle members 5 betweenits ends is formed with a continuous annular groove 6 of concave form asshown.

The spindles 5 are inserted in the horizontal openings in the blockmembers l and 2 and the grooves 6 come into direct conjunction with thevertical openings 3 in the block. Dowels 'l preferably of wood arepassed through the openings'3 and are partially received in the grooves6 thereby locking the cross ties in place and holding the block membersland 2 in secure relation to each other.

It is to be noted that the tie members are 1ocated a prescribed distancebelow the upper edge,

above the lower edge and with the end edges of the block. This distanceis substantially equal to the standard thickness of'an. ordinarye2. X4"' while the lengthv of the central portions 4 of the tie members isslightlyy in excess of the standard -width of said 2" x4". Thus whenthere has been laid a wall of the blocks a plate -8 of the standard 2" x4" dimensions vwhen planed may be laid upon the uppermost horizontal tiemembers as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 for the connection of the necessarybuilding members such as plates or the like which will support therafters of the roof. Likewise at window and door openings vertical framemembers 9 and horizontal members l0 may be inset into the blocks untilstopped by the tie members 4, this providing a frame to which a windowor door frame may be secured.

The blocks shown in Fig. 1 may be made in one-half the length thereshown to provide blocks, as indicated at Ia in Fig. 5, for the proper`breaking of joints in laying the wall. At a corner, as shown in Fig. 7,parts of the inner block members 2 will be cut away at one end of theblock so as to reduce the length of the inner block members and preventplacing them in relation to each other as indicated at 2a in Fig. '7. Ofcourse, as shown in Fig. 8, one only of the corner blocks may have itsinner block member shortened as indicated at 2a and the other cornerblock laid with relation thereto as indicated in said Fig. 8.

The inner space in the wall may be used to house pipes,- wiring andconduits of various characiers. We have shown in Fig. 8 a pipe llindicated as passing vertically through such space in a wall; and atthe-'places where the passage of the pipe would be interfered with bythe cross ties, f

said ties have been removed sufilciently for the pipe passage by sawingthe ties across for such removal. The passage of electric wiring at saidinnerinsulating spaces may be done without removing any of the ties.

While the central section 4 of a cross tie is shown as square in crosssection it is evident that it may be of a cylindrical form having adiameter equal to a side of the square section shown in Fig. 3. Theinterlocking connection of the cross ties and the lockirig dowels 1permits a lrotation of the cross ties 4 if necessary to bring theirupper and'lower surfaces into horizontal planes and vtheir side surfacesinto vertical planes so as to properly receive the members 8, 8 and I0and back them up with a suiflciently solid backing.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the block members l and 2 maybe separately cast, the cross ties provided. the parts shipped indisassembled relation and the blocks assembled at the place where a wallisio be laid. 'I'he outer support lath to whichfiplaster may be applied.'I'he outer block members vl will prevent the passage of moisiunge.through. the wall and the con-1 -tinu'ous space' 'between' the inner andouter parts of a laid wallfurnish, the best type of insulatio'n againstpassage of heat,` making a buildingcon'" structedof said blockseconomical to keepin aweather and cooler in heating conditionl incoldwarmer weather. 'f y z Y, 'I

'I'he building blocks described are not only useful for building wallsbut may be used for floors and partitions and are of value infoundations-'5 For partitions both block members would be of the gypsumcementitious composition or equivalent and in floors the spaced blockmembers may be of the same composition. For foundations the blocks maybe laid to the desired height of the foundation and then the spacesbetween the inner andouter members of the blocks filled with concrete,eliminating the necessity for building forms which have to be removedafter a concrete foundation has been poured.

It is` further evident that if it should be der sirable that any part ofa Wall, at the corners or any other part thereof, may be reinforced byvertical concrete posts or pilasters. For example at a corner, as inFig. 7, locating a board vertically against the spacers 4 would providean enclosing form for receiving concrete which would be held thereinuntil set. Also at other places than the corners vertical posts orpilasters may be provided with a removal of such tying spacing membersas might be needed by sawing across at the juncture of the spindle endsthereof at the larger and intermediate portions of said spacers andties.

This construction of block also lends itself effectively to makingiinished blocks of different widths by merely utilizing differentlengths of spacing and tie members, the length of the intermediatesections 4 of which may be varied. This is an item of very appreciableeconomy, wider cementitious blocks as now generally made rapidlyincreasing in cost as compared to narrower ones and having increasedtransportation costs because of greater weight. The use of samedimensions in inner and outer block members in making a wider block byutilizing diierent lengths of intermediate portions for the spacing andtying members increases the cost of the wider blocks but little. And thereinforcement of the wider block walls by concrete posts or pilasters atspaced intervals in the length of a wall readily takes care of anydesired increase in strength of the wall.

The block is particularly valuable from a practical utility standpointand has been produced with such ends in view.

The invention is dened in the appended claims and is to be consideredcomprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

We claim:

1. A building block comprising an outer block member of rectangularparallelepiped form and of a hard weather resisting cementitiousmaterial composition, an inner block member of the same form of a softermaterial, each of said block members having a plurality of spacedcylindrical openings therethrough paralleling the vertical sides of saidblock members, -a plurality of tie members each having an intermediateportion .-and a spindle at each end thereof of cylindrical formprojecting from the j intermediate portion and having a cross sectionalarealess than that of the intermediate portion of the tie members, andeach of said spindlesbetween its ends having a continuous annularconcave groove therein, said block members having openings for thereception of said spindles, said last mentioned openings and thevertical openings in the block members intersecting each other, andelongated dowels of a size and shape to be passed into and through thevertical openings in the block members, the positioning of the spindlereceiving openings and the dowel receiving openings being such that saiddowels seat at one side in portions of the grooves in said spindles, asspeciiied.

2. A building block comprising an outer block member of rectangularparallelepiped form and of a hard weather resisting cementitiouscomposition, an inner block member of the same form, upper and lowerseries of tie members adapted to be associated with and located betweensaid block members, each of said tie members having an intermediatesection of predetermined length to govern the spacing of said blockmembers from each other, and each of said tie members having a spindleat each end of less cross sectional area than the cross sectional areaof said intermediate portion, said block members having openings each inone side thereof for the reception of said spindles, means insertableinto said block members to engage with and interlock with said spindles,the upper series of said tie members being located below the upper edgesof said block members each a predetermined distance and the lowermembers of said tie members being located above the lower edges of saidblock members the same distance, as specified.

3. A building block containing the elements in combination dened inclaim 2, each of the end tie members of each of said upper and lowerseries of tie members being located inwardly from each end of the blocka predetermined dis 4. A building block containing the elements incombination defined in claim 2, each of the end tie members of each ofsaid upper and lower series of tie members being located inwardly fromeach of the ends of the block members a predetermined distance, saiddistance being equal to the distance that said upper and lower series oftie members are respectively located below and above the lower andlupper edges of said block members.

5. In a building block inner and outer block members adapted to belocated in spaced relation with adjacent sides in vertical planes spacedfrom each other, said block members at said adjacent sides having aplurality of horizontal openings partially therethrough and said blockmembers having vertical openings from their upper to their lower sidesintersecting said horizontal openings, spacing and tie members locatedbetween the blocks each having an intermediate portion and a spindle ateach end thereof of less' cross sectional area,

said spindles being adapted to be received in said horizontal openingsin said block, each of said spindles having a continuous annular groovetherearound, and elongated dowels passing through the vertical openingsin said block members and seating in said grooves of the spindles, asspecied.

EARLE R. BRENNEMAN. EARL SWETI.

